SovTech Hackathon 2019

SovTech Hackathon 2019

Alexis van Schalkwyk
January 9, 2023
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SovTech Hackathon 2019

Theme: Global Solutions | Local Problems

The SovTech Hackathon 2019 is scheduled and almost underway. SovTech is rapidly expanding internationally so we want to celebrate this by focusing our Hackathon on cross country innovations . What innovations/ ideas/ concepts from one country can be repurposed and used to solve a problem in another country and build a business there. Each team will be assigned a country and a set of main problems in that country. They then have 24 hours to conceptualize, build, and launch a tech product that can build a business to address that problem using inspiration from a unique way the problem is addressed in another part of the world.

What is a Hackathon?

By definition, a hackathon is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development, including graphic designers, interface designers, project managers, and others, often including domain experts, collaborate intensively on software projects with the goal of creating usable software or hardware by the end of the event.

Hackathons tend to have a specific focus, which can include the programming language used, the operating system, an application, an API, or the subject and the demographic group of the programmers. In other cases, there is no restriction on the type of software being created.

The day’s events

After much planning and preparation the event will be held this year on the 15th of November from 7am until the next morning.

For some SovTechians, this will be their first hackathon, and given the buzz amongst the ‘experienced hackers’, the excitement is apparent.

With a very early Friday morning start, the crews will set out to develop software solutions that could successfully solve an issue in specific locations. Each crew is made up of a range of front and backend developers, project managers, business strategists and marketers from across the organisation, mixing up pods that don’t usually get to work together in order to maximise creativity. We will have contributions and livestreams from our other offices in London, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Previous Hackathons

2019 is the third consecutive year that SovTech holds a Hackathon. Read on previous Hackathons on the links below

2017 Hackathon , 2018 Hackathon

As seen on FOX, Digital journal, NCN, Market Watch, Bezinga and more